The cavefish genome reveals candidate genes for eye loss

• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6307
• Publication Date: 2014-10-20T13:59:30Z
• Authors: Suzanne E. McGaugh; Joshua B. Gross; Bronwen Aken; Maryline Blin; Richard Borowsky; Domitille Chalopin; Hélène Hinaux; William R. Jeffery; Alex Keene; Li Ma; Patrick Minx; Daniel Murphy; Kelly E. O’Quin; Sylvie Rétaux; Nicolas Rohner; Steve M. J. Searle; Bethany A. Stahl; Cliff Tabin; Jean-Nicolas Volff; Masato Yoshizawa; Wesley C. Warren
• Keywords: Candidate gene

Natural populations subjected to strong environmental selection pressures offer a window into the genetic underpinnings of evolutionary change. Cavefish populations, Astyanax mexicanus (Teleostei: Characiphysi), exhibit repeated, independent evolution for variety traits including eye degeneration, pigment loss, increased size and number taste buds mechanosensory organs, shifts in many behavioural traits. Surface cave forms are interfertile making this system amenable interrogation; however, lack reference genome has hampered efforts identify genes responsible changes A. mexicanus. Here we present first de novo assembly cavefish, contrast repeat elements other teleost genomes, candidate underlying quantitative trait loci (QTL), assay these potential functional expression differences. We expect cavefish advance understanding process, as well as, analogous human disease retinal dysfunction. Populations fish that evolved repeatedly independently from its surface counterparts. authors mexicanusand loss reduced pigmentation.